The CONCLUSION. How to know, what our Sentence will be at the last Iudgment: With an Exhor∣tation to Reverence our own Consciences.

HAving thus largely discoursed con∣cerning a Future Judgment, I need not mind you of what Concernment it is, to know what Sentence Christ will pass on us at that Day; whether Come ye blessed of my Father, or, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire. For if we must be hap∣py or miserable for ever, how can we content our selves to live in doubt and suspence, which of these shall be our Por∣tion? What a Hell is this to live in per∣petual fear of Hell? How can we sleep without dreaming of Lakes of Fire and Brimstone, without the frightful Appari∣tions of damned Spirits! what a transpor∣ting foretast would it give us of the Joys of Heaven to read our Names written in the Book of Life! to see a Crown, a bright and glorious Crown prepared for us! But how shall we know this? Who shall search the Records of Heaven for us? The An∣swer Page  522 is plain, we need not ascend up in∣to Heaven for it, we have the counter∣part of those Records in our own breasts. For, as St. Iohn tells us, if our heart con∣demn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things: beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confi∣dence towards God, 1 John 3.20, 21. That is, if our Heart or Conscience condemn us, then God will condemn us, for he knows more of us than our own Consciences know, he knows us better than we know ourselves; and if we know so much wickedness by our selves, that we cannot but condemn our selves, (though every Man is a favourable Judge of himself) God, who knows a great deal more of us, must condemn us also: But if our Conscience condemn us not, if it acquit and absolve us, then have we confidence towards God, great and sure hopes in God's Mercy, that he will not condemn us: We cannot have the confi∣dence of Innocent Men, because we have been Sinners; but we may have the hum∣ble confidence and assured hopes of Re∣turning and Repenting Prodigals, and of Dutiful and Obedient Children.

That this is so, the Apostle's Authority is sufficient to convince us; and yet if the Apostle had not said it, the Reason and Page  523 Nature of the thing sufficiently proves it.

God has given us a certain Rule, where∣by we shall be judged, which I have now explained to you: and therefore since God will Judge us by this Rule, if we also judge our selves by it, we may certainly know, what Judgment God will pass on us: for neither God, nor our own Con∣sciences can mistake in their Judgment; and when the Rule is the same, and there can be no mistake on either side, the Judgment must necessarily be the same; and then the same Judgment our own Consciences make of us, God will make: If they condemn us, God will condemn us also; if they condemn us not, neither will God condemn us; then we shall have confidence towards God.

There needs no Proof of this, if you will but confess, that every Man knows himself, what his own Life and Actions are, and that God knows every Man bet∣ter than he knows himself. If we know our selves, and know our Rule; if we know what we ought to do, and what we have done, we can certainly tell, whe∣ther we h•ve done our Duty, or not: If our own Consciences condemn us, it is certain we have not done our Duty; that Page  524 we either do what we know we ought not to do, or leave undone what we know we ought to do, for no Man in his wits will accuse himself wrongfully. Now if this be our case, our Consciences do very justly condemn us, and then God, who knows us as perfectly as our own Consciences must condemn us also: For a guilty Sin∣ner, who is guilty to his own Conscience, can never escape the Condemnation of a Just and Righteous Judge, if he know his guilt.

Did earthly Princes or Judges as cer∣tainly know the Crimes which every particular Man is guilty of, as God knows the sins of all Men, with all their parti∣cular Circumstances and Aggravations, every Malefactor, who knows what Laws he has broken, and what is the Punish∣ment of the breach of such Laws, might certainly know, what his Condemnation will be, if he meet with a Righteous Judge.

But earthly Judges do not always know mens personal Guilt, or want Evidence to prove it; and thus many Criminals, whose own Consciences con∣demn them, may escape the Condemna∣tion of Men; but God knows more of us than our own Consciences, and needs Page  525 no other Evidence against us, but our own sciences, to condemn us. Earthly Judges are not always upright in their Judgment, fear or favour may pervert their Justice; but God is the Judge of all the World, and therefore Supream Rectitude and Ju∣stice; that no Sinner can hope to escape his Justice, whose own Conscience con∣demns him; for if God should not con∣demn such Men, he would be less just than the Conscience of a Sinner.

But you'll say, the Mercy of God and the Merits of our Saviour may pardon a Sinner, whose Conscience condemns him, though Justice can't. I answer, No: If Conscience condemns according to the Rule of the Gospel, it condemns both for the Justice and for the Mercy of God; for the Gospel is the Gospel of Grace, and contains all the Mercy that God hath promised to Sinners, and if Conscience judging by this Rule condemns a Sinner, the Mercy of God will not save, to be sure Gospel-Grace and Mercy, his own Conscience being Witness, cannot save him; and therefore his Salvation is hope∣less, while he continues in this state. No man's Conscience which is not disturbed, or misguided, of which more presently, will absolutely condemn him without some Page  526 notorious and manifest guilt, and the Mercy of the Gospel cannot save such a Man. He must be conscious to himself, that he lives in the commission of some known Sin, or in the habitual neglect of some known Duties, without Repentance and Reformation, before he will peremp∣torily condemn himself; and the Grace of the Gospel will not pardon wilful, im∣penitent, unreformed Sinners.

Thus on the other hand; if our Con∣sciences do not condemn us, then we have confidence towards God. If we have a con∣science void of offence both towards God, and towards Man: If we have the testi∣m•ny of our consciences, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our con∣versation in this world. If we serve God with such Zeal, and Vigour, and Activity, if we so abound in the work of the Lord, in all the Fruits of Righteousness, Good∣ness, and Charity, that our own Con∣sciences approve and commend us for it, this will give us a secure hope in God's Mercy, such a hope, as will not make us ashamed, as will not deceive us. Though we know nothing by our selves, as St. Paul speaks, yet are we not hereby justified, he that judgeth us is the Lord, 1 Cor. 4.4. In this case it is true also, that God is Page  527 greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things, and therefore he may observe those defects and imperfections in us, which we do not observe in our selves, that the most innocent and vertuous Man dares not challenge Heaven as his Merit and Desert, but yet expects and hopes for a Reward from the Mercies of God, has confidence towards God.

A man's own Conscience cannot de∣ceive him in this. Every Man must know, whether he carefully avoid all known and wilful sins, whether he discharge all the essential parts of his Duty to God and Men, especially when he does any emi∣nent Services for God, and becomes an Example of Piety and Vertue. A Man, whose Conscience gives this Testimony to him, may securely hope and rejoyce in God; for whatever other defects the pure Eyes of God may see in him, they are all within the Grace and Mercy of the Gospel, and therefore cannot hinder ei∣ther his Pardon or his Reward.

Thus we see, that when Conscience ab∣solutely condemns, or when without any doubt or hesitancy it commends, acquits, and absolves, its Sentence is a Divine O∣racle, and assures us what our Judgment shall be at the last Day, if we be then Page  528 found in such a state: But there is a mid∣dle state between these two, which de∣serves to be considered: when Men are neither so wicked, as to be absolutely con∣demned by their own Consciences, nor so good, as to be acquitted and absolved, which is an uncertain state between hope and fear. This is the case of those Men, who have been guilty of very great sins, which they had lived in many years; and though they are very sensible of their past wickedness, and heartily sorry for their sins, and seriously resolved by the Grace of God to forsake them; yet they are not satisfied of the sincerity of their Re∣pentance, because they have not with all their Sorrow and Resolutions conquered their Inclinations to sin, nor broken the habits of it; but are guilty of frequent Relapses, and fall into the commission of the same sins again; and then repent and resolve again; and as time wears off their sorrow for their last Offence, their old in∣clinations revive, and a new Temptation conquers again: Now such men's Consci∣ences neither absolutely condemn, nor absolutely acquit them, for the Event is doubtful: they are not Conquerors yet, and it is uncertain, whether ever they will Conquer; and therefore their Consciences Page  529 cannot yet speak Peace to them; and yet they are not perfect Slaves and Captives to Sin, but contend for their liberty, and therefore their Consciences do not abso∣lutely condemn them; but as they pre∣vail or yield, so their hopes or fears en∣crease.

And this also is the case of those Men, who, if they commit no notorious wic∣kedness, yet do very little good, nothing that their Consciences can commend them for: who worship God rather in com∣pliance with the Custom of the Place they live in, than from a vital sence and reve∣rence of God, and therefore are not for any Works of Supererogation: a little will content them, and they are glad of any excuse to lessen that little; and all Men, who pretend to greater Devotion, they suspect of Hypocrisie, and some Se∣cular Interests.

As for Charity, though they must own Charity to be a Vertue, yet when any particular Act of Charity is pressed on them, they never want Arguments to prove, either that it is not Charity, or that they are not concerned in it; whate∣ver kindnesses they do for others, are ex∣torted by great importunity, and done very thriftily, just as Men do, what they Page  530 have no mind, nor inclination •o? Now these Men commonly are pretty quiet and secure, unless something extraordinary awaken them; for they do nothing greatly to terrifie their Consciences, nor any thing to please them; and therefore their Con∣sciences neither absolve nor condemn. Such Men don't well know what to think of themselves, nor do they much think of these matters: if they be gay, and in good humour, all is very well; if any cross accident disturbs them, and makes them thoughtful, and fall out with this World, or works upon a Melancholly Constitu∣tion, then they are over-run with black and dismal Thoughts, and all the Mini∣sters in the Neighbour-hood are sent for to answer Cases of Conscience, and to speak such Comfort to them, as their own Consciences cannot, and will not speak.

Now this case our Apostle took no no∣tice of, for indeed nothing is to be said to it: such Men cannot know by the Judg∣ment of their own Consciences; what Judg∣ment God will pass on them, because their Consciences pass no certain Judgment on them: but when Conscience does give Judgment of us, when it absolutely acquits, or absolutely condemns us, we may de∣pend Page  431 on it, that God will judge us, as our Consciences do.

There are some Objections against this, which are easily answered from that plain state of the case, which I have now given. As to name some:

There are a great many very bad Men, who go on in their sins without any checks and rebukes of their own Consciences, much more without being condemned by them; and will not God condemn these Men, because their own Consciences do not condemn them? Yes, no doubt but he will; for he will condemn all bad Men, whether their own Consciences at present condemn them or not. But by not condemning the Apostle means, acquit∣ting and absolving; which these Mens Consciences do not: though they do not condemn, they do not commend, nor ab∣solve neither; that is, they pass no Judg∣ment at all, but are seared, and stupified by Atheism, or a long Custom in sinning. When Conscience does judge, and does not condemn, God will not condemn nei∣ther; but there is a great difference be∣tween not judging, and not condemning, and therefore notwithstanding what the Apostle says, God may condemn, when Conscience does not judge, though he will Page  532 not condemn, when a judging Conscience does not condemn. And the difference between these two; between not judging, and not condemning, is very evident; for it is often seen, that Men whose Con∣sciences have given them no disturbance for many years, in a course of sin; that is, have never judged them; yet when∣ever their Consciences are awakened, (as they are sometimes by severe Providences, or at least by the approach of Death) then they condemn them, and fill them with Terrour and Amazement.

There are other bad Men, who do ve∣ry wicked things, and yet their Consci∣ences are so far from condemning them, that they commend and applaud them. Nay, we know there have been those, whose Consciences have indulged them in all manner of wickedness, and flatter'd them into an Opinion of their being great Saints, and dear to God all the while: and will not God condemn these Men, be∣cause their Consciences do not condemn them; but promise them, not only Im∣punity, but great Rewards?

Thus on the other hand, many very good Men, who to all appearance have lived very innocent and vertuous Lives, fall under great Disorders of Mind; and Page  533 not only condemn, but pass a final irre∣versible Sentence upon themselves; that they are not only at present in a state of Damnation, but that it is impossible for them ever to get out of it, and that they must be certainly damned: now will God condemn these good Men, because their Consciences condemn them?

I have put these two Cases together, because the same Answer will serve both. This is not the Judgment of Conscience, which St. Iohn speaks of, but the Judg∣ment of Opinion, and mistaken Notions in Religion, or of Melancholly, and a di∣stempered fancy.

The Judgment of Conscience is that Judgment which we pass on our selves, from comparing our Lives with the Rule whereby we shall be judged; and this Judgment cannot deceive us; for if we judge of our selves by the same Rule, by which God will judge us; eve∣ry Man knows himself so well, that he cannot mistake; and when GOD and Conscience judge by the same Rule, their Judgment must be the same: but if we will alter our Rule of Judging; if Conscience judge by one Rule, and God by another, then there is no won∣der, if their Judgments differ; if GOD Page  534 condemn those whose Consciences acquit them, and absolve those whose Conscien∣ces, or rather whose private Opinions and Fancies condemn them.

This is plain from the instances before us; some Men justifie themselves in doing very wicked Actions; but the reason is, because they mistake the Nature of Things, they call Good Evil, and Evil Good; and then their Consciences applaud and commend them for doing that, which is very wicked, but which they call good. As our Saviour tells his Apostles, The time cometh, when every one that killeth you, will think that he does God good service, 16 Joh. 2.

Others, who know they are guilty of very great wickedness, are yet very con∣fident of their Salvation, and full of as∣surance, because they do not judge of themselves by the good or evil which they do, but rely upon other marks and evi∣dences for their Salvation; Raptures, Ex∣tasies, Enthusiasms, a presumptuous Faith in Christ, an ineffectual sorrow for sin, some arbitrary and fanciful signs of Ele∣ction, &c. Now indeed, these Mens Consciences do condemn them, for they accuse them of great wickedness; but they will not believe the Judgment of their own Consciences, but judge of their Page  535 final state, by their own mistaken Fancies and Opinions; and therefore according to the Apostle's Rule, God will condemn these Men, for their own Consciences condemn them, though they will not believe the Judgment of their Consciences, but justifie themselves in contradiction to it, when Conscience condemns.

Other Men, who are not condemned by their own Consciences; that is, who cannot charge themselves with any great guilt, who are not conscious to them∣selves, that they have lived in any known Sin, or in the habitual neglect of any material and essential part of their Duty, yet they strongly fancy, that GOD will condemn them, that they are under the Sentence of Reprobation, that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost, though what that Sin is, they know not: They want the testimony of the Spirit to as∣sure them of their Election; they have never felt the Spirit of Bondage, and therefore they fear, they have not the Spirit of Adoption; that is, they have never felt the Horrours and Agonies of guilty Sinners, because by the Grace of GOD, and the Blessing of a pious and vertuous Education, they have always been preserved from those frightful sins, Page  536 which amaze the Conscience; and there∣fore they fear it is but a false Peace they feel, that God is not in this soft and calm Voice of Conscience, because they have never heard nor seen the Thundrings and Lightnings from Mount Sinai: Or though they maintain a great reve∣rence for God, and worship him with all humility of Soul and Body, yet they do not feel those flights of Devotion, those melting and languishing Passions, which some good Men •eel; or if at any time they are transported beyond themselves, and feel their Hearts all on fire with Love and Devotion, these Fits are but short, these Boylings and Fermentations go off, and they return to a calm and even Temper, and then they think they grow cold, and that the Spirit of GOD hath forsaken them: Now it is plain also, that these Mens Consciences do not condemn them, for they charge them with no such guilt, as the Gospel of Christ will condemn them for, but they are condemned only by false Opinions, or by a misguided and disturbed Fancy. In both these Cases Men absolve or con∣demn themselves, not by the judgment and testimony of Conscience, but by their mistaken Notions and Opinions, Page  537 and God is not concerned to confirm and ratifie such a Judgment.

The Sum is this: When St. Iohn tells us, That if our Conscience condemn us, God will condemn us; but if our Conscience do not condemn us, neither will God con∣demn us: he means by Conscience, that Judgment, which Men make of themselves, by comparing their Lives and Actions with the Rule, by which GOD will judge us; for Conscience judges, not by making new and arbitrary Rules of Judg∣ment, but by giving Testimony to our Lives and Actions. The Judgment of Conscience is no more but this, Whether we have obeyed, or disobeyed the Laws of the Gospel; whether we have done those things, which the Gospel threat∣ens to punish, or which it promises to reward; but when we judge our Actions by false Notions of Good and Evil, con∣trary to the Gospel of our Saviour, we judge by a false Rule, and then our Judg∣ment must be false; and when we judge our selves not by the Nature of our Works, as God will judge us, and as Conscience judges, but by Opinions and Fancies, and some Arbitrary and Enthu∣siastick Marks and Signs, this is not the Judgment of Conscience, which judges Page  538 only of our Works, but the Judgment of private Opinions, Conceits and Fan∣cies, and though God will judge us, as Conscience judges, yet he will not judge us, as Opinion, Fancy, Enthusiasm, or Melancholy judge us.

Thus we see, how we may know, what our Sentence shall be at the Day of Judgment: Two sorts of Men may cer∣tainly know, what their Sentence shall be and a third sort may know the great dan∣ger they are in, if they will but listen to the Judgment of their own Consciences. Men, whose Consciences absolutely con∣demn them, may certainly expect, that God will condemn them; For when their guilt is so notorious, that they are forced to condemn themselves, why should they think, that a just and righteous Judge will not condemn them? Those whose Con∣sciences do not condemn them, shall cer∣tainly be pardoned and rewarded by the Mercies of God; those, whose Conscien∣ces will neither condemn nor absolve them, but do both by turns, are in a very doubt∣ful and hazardous state, their Salvation as yet is very uncertain, and it concerns them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, and to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure.

Page  539And should not this teach us to reve∣rence the Judgment of Conscience as a Divine Sentence? not to provoke our Consciences to condemn us; to obey their Admonitions, and to reform at their Rebukes and Censures? What would Sin∣ners think, should they hear themselves condemned by God, every time they com∣mit a known and wilful sin? And yet Conscience is the Tribunal of God, judges for God, and condemns us in God's Name, and by his Authority, and God will con∣firm and execute its Sentence, and there∣fore Conscience is a very venerable Judge.

And ought we not diligently to hearken to that Judgment, which Conscience passes on us? This I am sure is of vast concern∣ment both to bad and to good Men, whe∣ther it condemn or absolve. Bad Men indeed are very much afraid of their own Consciences, because they reprove and condemn them, and threaten them with Hell-fire, and therefore they fly from their Consciences, will not hear them, and will not suffer them to speak: but what do they get by this, but to drop securely and quietly into Hell, and then Conscience will speak, and never be silent more: If they will not hear their Consciences now, they must hear their Judge at the last Page  540 Day. Though Conscience be never so severe in its reproofs and censures, they are the reproofs of a Friend; the Judg∣ment of Conscience is only to warn us of the Judgment of God, to warn us to fly from the Wrath to come; and would Men hearken to their own Consciences, it would give check to them, and reform their Lives; if we would patiently hear Conscience threaten us with Hell-fire, it would be the most effectual means to pre∣vent our falling into it.

But what is the Joy and Triumph of a good Conscience, which speaks Peace to us, and gives us a secure hope in God; which gives us the joyful prospect of E∣ternal Rewads, of a Crown, and a King∣dom, of those Rivers of Pleasures, which are at God's right hand! When with St. Paul we can say: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which God the righte∣ous Iudge will give me at that day, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8.

This is a happy state indeed, a plero∣phory and full assurance of hope, which makes good Men impatiently long for the Day of Judgment to be put into the pos∣session of so great a happiness; and there Page  541 is no way to have this, but from the Te∣stimony of our own Consciences: The Holy Spirit indeed does give Testimony to good Men, and fill them with joys un∣speakable, and full of glory: but then the spirit beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the sons of God, 8 Rom. 16. Unless our Consciences give testimony to us, the Holy Spirit never does; all pretences to the Testimony of the Spirit without this, are cheats and delusions; and Conscience will never give this testimony to us, with∣out a tried and experienced Vertue, till the Flesh be subdued to the Spirit; till our Minds are refined and purified, and our Conversations adorned with all Divine and Heavenly Graces. Every new conquest we gain over this World, every new de∣gree of strength and vigour in serving God, our increase in Charity and all good Works, will add new degrees to our hope; our Consciences will give the more ample testimony to us; and that gives us great∣er confidence towards God, which will make us joyfully expect that blessed hope,* and glorious appearance of the great God, and our Saviour Iesus Christ.